Samir Bannout was strong as hell for a guy of 210 pounds. I told it once before. We were working threw our warm-ups on squats, 135, 225, 315 etc. When he stepped back to do his set with 315 he we were close. Not really to spot him with 315 but we were "building the Physch". I don't know what got into him but he said "step back" we did and he starts doing behinf the neck push presses. Not strict--there was plenty of leg kick but still very impressive. (Well to some of us here--not to the super-hero's like onlyme and Chris Mason).

Samir would hit that tricep pose (the one with all the freaky cross-striations several times a day. He loved that shot. So would I if my tri's looked like that.

Max,did Samir ever tell you about what happened in the UK at the Grand Prix,i think it was 1990,when he got upset with the EFBB President,a guy called John Martin.It was as the show had finished and nearly everyone had left the building and Samir questioned him about why he had placed so low,and when he wasn`t satisfied with the answer he got,he punched his lights out onstage.The next day all the pro`s were having an autograph evening in the Weider Health club,and Samir was banned from entering and selling his photo`s.But he turned up anyway,and barged in and set up a table and started selling his photo`s.John Martin never said a word.

I remember seeing Samir at the gym training but didn't really watch him that much. If I remember right people always said he had a weak back and that he needed to work on it if he was going to win the big one. I do remeber from where I was sitting he didn't look weak anywhere. But no one had a back more impressive than Tony Pearson. I would do sitted rows with him and be behind him with my mouth on the ground. His back was awesome.

I liked the old World Gym with the outside area to train. There was this actor there who played in The Deep. Not the black guy but the big white guy. He was in there allot. He was outside one day looking through his hand by making a small circle with it. I asked what he was doing and he said looking at a girl walking down the street. he showed me how to make my hand into a type of telescope. So here we are on the second floor ooutside workout area looking through our hands at girls a mile away. Man, we were weird. I think about that everytime I see him on screen. Remember Brad Davis. He was an actor and bodybuilder. More famous than I thought at the time.

Max,did Samir ever tell you about what happened in the UK at the Grand Prix,i think it was 1990,when he got upset with the EFBB President,a guy called John Martin.It was as the show had finished and nearly everyone had left the building and Samir questioned him about why he had placed so low,and when he wasn`t satisfied with the answer he got,he punched his lights out onstage.The next day all the pro`s were having an autograph evening in the Weider Health club,and Samir was banned from entering and selling his photo`s.But he turned up anyway,and barged in and set up a table and started selling his photo`s.John Martin never said a word.

No that was long after Samir and I stopped training together. I heard about the incident from a buddy who is an IFBB judge. That is not really a funny incedent because it ended Samirs career forever.

If I remember right people always said he had a weak back and that he needed to work on it if he was going to win the big one. I do remeber from where I was sitting he didn't look weak anywhere. But no one had a back more impressive than Tony Pearson. I would do sitted rows with him and be behind him with my mouth on the ground. His back was awesome.

Dude... whoever told you that HAD to have been kidding, high on crackor been reading braile. Samirs back was one of his best body-parts. He was the first to display a christmas tree and did bent rows with 405 for 8-10 clean reps. He got me from foing 225 to doing 365 for 8.

But no one had a back more impressive than Tony Pearson. I would do sitted rows with him and be behind him with my mouth on the ground. His back was awesome.

Tony Pearson had an amazing back and a super small waist.

I saw Tony in May 2003 when I was training at Las Vegas Gold's on Craig, he is looking a little bit older-but he is in good condition-not big, but lean and looks like a champ.....He is a private trainer in Las Vegas, and he has his flyer up at the Craig Gold's and most likely the others as well......

Kevin I don't think he knows Greg Gaunt. Why would anyone else know greg but us. Max, the diet Tony had me on was tuna in water, lettuce dry, water all day tuna in water, lettuce dry, water all day tuna in water, lettuce dry, water all day tuna in water, lettuce dry, water all day tuna in water, lettuce dry, water all day tuna in water, lettuce dry, water all day tuna in water, lettuce dry, water all day EVERYDAY! Waller used to support this torture. To this day I don;t know if they were fucking with me or not. I hated going to restautants with these guys. For awhile though I was into raw eggs as most of us were after rocky came out. 12 at a time. When I did order those from restaurants the waitress always hung around to watch me drink them. They didn't bother me at all. Then Benny Pooda gave me his song and dance about drinking raw eggs. he did his college thesis (?) on the Egg. He knew everything about them.

Max, Do you mean Greg Gaunt? My friend with the funny clothes? If so, then you do know me. I got some appropriate Greg stories to pass on if we are speaking of the same person.

I can't remember his last name. He would binge on food and eact a whole box of cookies or whatever. Then he'd completely clog up the toilet. He was my roomate for a month when I live on Venice Blvd. in Mar Vista. He was from Boston. He'd show for a month or two and then go back home.

Tony Pearson! He won the Nationals in Ohio, I believe. (Or was it further south). I think that was the same year Ronnie Teufel was expected to win but he suffered a major disappointment losing to Tony.

I recall having breakfast with one of the contestants' mom and dad in a pretty fancy coffee shop ajacent to the weigh-in site.

This was the first time these older folks had been to a major contest, so they were kind of bewildered and awestruck by it all.

So we're sitting there having breakfast and Tony walks by either on his way to or from the weigh in, so I shouted, "Good luck, Tony" from across the room.

So he comes walking over and tells me that there is no way that he is gonna lose to Teufel or anyone else for that matter.

And then he drops his pants to show his legs and the whole place (mostly bodybuilders and their fans except for the "older folks" sitting at the table) let out a roar of approval, while the older foks almost choked on their Chock Full O Nuts.

They had never seen anyone drop their pants in a public place, let alone receive a roar of approval.

And they had never seen a pair of legs like Tony's!

I ran into Tony recently (at the Oly, I think) and he looked great.

It might have been that next year or one year later. We were in Atlanta, Georgia and the contest was being held at the Fox Theater which was famous for showing the World Premiere of "Gone With the Wind".

I had an old hillbilly truck and was transfering the guys from the host hotel to the contest site and I must have made about 3 to 4 trips in the process.

As I dropped off my last load, Mike Mentzer came running out of the theater asking me if I had seen his brother Ray. I answered in the negative and told him I'd go look for him and bring him back alive if I was able to find him.

So I run back to the hotel and there he is, just sitting there watching the morning go by with not a worry in the world.

"Let's go, Ray. You're late!"

"OK, thanks! I knew someone would come by and get me if I just sat here and waited!"

And as we drove he told me how well he was gonna do that day. No BS, just sheer confidence. He was gonna take it home.

Great f*cking story, Kevin ! Keep them coming guys ... man, I kinda wish I shared some of your guys experiences ... you guys sound like you had a lot of fun back in the day. Bodybuiding just isn't the same anymore.

In 1977 I had just placed 2nd in the the Empire State and Danny Padilla (who I trained with for the show) convinced me I was ready for the USA (NOT). That was the year Kal had to go to the USA to compete against Mentzer in the Universe a week later. Danny was going to avenge his loss against Makaway. So off to New York City. I'm waiting for Danny at the Rochester aiport to fly together. The call last call or the plane is leaving without us. All of a sudden here comes Danny down the hall like he just swallowed a canary, sheepish grin.

So we get to NY check into the hotel and go to eat breakfast. We sit down and over near the entrance we see the chest walk in. It keeps coming, keeps coming, keeps coming and the the head appears about 5 minutes later Kal and his smoking hot wife.

The sit with us. Renew their old freindship with Danny and Kal orders Steak and 16 whole eggs easy over. The waitress was like... WHAT! Wofed them down like he hadn't eaten in months.

We just sat Those guys were doing Joe Weider imitations (Danny and Samir are known for their steller Joe Weider imitations) and laughed until it was time to head over to the pre-judging.

Oh the USA. I got shafted! I placed 3rd to last in my class and I should have been 4th to last. lol

I did forget to mention in the Ray Mentzer story above that he was on the verge of or already into his "survivilist" mode.

But my occupation at that time was far and above what he was telling me, so I paid little attnetion until years later when I heard that he "was living in a forest someplace".

Any truth to that?

Regarding Pearson and Teufel. If whoever took that picture of Ronny departing the stage, followed him backstage to the TV interview and took a picture - then you got a photo of ME! I was NOT the interviewer - he was from a local station in town.

I was standing beside Ron at that time listening to that interview, but it was so damn long ago, I forgot when he said. BUT I do know that he was damn disappointed!

Thanks for positng those pictures proving that all this stuff just isn't part of my imagination. I got tons of those old time photos packed away someplace. I'll try to find them and get them up here if I can figure out how to do so. Most of the photos are 35 mm slides in the era when guys like Platz and Grant and Arnold and all were sort of on the skinny side.

I did forget to mention in the Ray Mentzer story above that he was on the verge of or already into his "survivilist" mode.

But my occupation at that time was far and above what he was telling me, so I paid little attnetion until years later when I heard that he "was living in a forest someplace".

Any truth to that?

Regarding Pearson and Teufel. If whoever took that picture of Ronny departing the stage, followed him backstage to the TV interview and took a picture - then you got a photo of ME! I was NOT the interviewer - he was from a local station in town.

I was standing beside Ron at that time listening to that interview, but it was so damn long ago, I forgot what he said. BUT I do know that he was damn disappointed! And that disappointment continued on for years.

Thanks for positng those pictures proving that all this stuff just isn't part of my imagination. I got tons of those old time photos packed away someplace. I'll try to find them and get them up here if I can figure out how to do so. Most of the photos are 35 mm slides in the era when guys like Platz and Grant and Arnold and all were sort of on the skinny side.